How to Be Married (to Melissa): A Hilarious Guide to a Happier, One-of-a-Kind Marriage

by Dustin Nickerson, Taylor Tomlinson (Foreword)

Your therapist told you that marriage was no laughing matter, but standup comedian and podcaster Dustin Nickerson begs to differ. Join Dustin as he draws on experiences from his incredibly average life to share tips for appreciating the uniqueness of every marriage. Through storytelling and brutally honest disclosures, Dustin brings his highly relatable brand of humor to the challenges couples may face, including eating healthy (versus being happy), parenting (building crucial survival skills), finances (bill collectors, anyone?), and church attendance (Melissa's purse holds enough mints and fidget toys to entertain the kids and Dustin). Go beyond the formulas and charts of conventional marriage advice as you dig deep into your one-of-a-kind relationship. In this book written for actual married humans by an actual married human, Dustin Praise for How to Be Married (to Melissa) : " How to Be Married (to Melissa) feels like you're having a conversation with a guy who has legitimate experience and expertise in my favorite faith, marriage, and comedy. In a culture full of 'fake it till you make it' people, Dustin is the real deal when it comes to all three categories." --Trey Kennedy, comedian

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Memoir, Audiobook, Self Help

224 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2023

Reviews

[Grant Kawata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely laughed out loud multiple times while reading this. Great advice and great stories.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone in a relationship. Funny anedotes from a 20+ yr marriage will reassure you that your relationship quirks are OK. As long as they work for the two of you, it doesn't matter what others think.

[Caitlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully funny and extremely relatable! Loved that he spent a lot of time on marriage while parenting.

[Jenn Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny and a quick, easy read! Actually gives decent marriage advice and uses humor to drive it home. Helps you realize we're all just out here surviving 😅

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

In How to be Married to Melissa, Dustin Nickerson is the only person who has even been married to Melissa and he wants you to know that. He is a comedian and he will use comedy and humor throughout the book. They got married young around when they were 19 and 20 years old. They shared how they struggled with reading all the typically recommended marriage books. They discovered that they don’t take into consideration that not all marriages are the same. Readers will read throughout the book their ups and downs in their marriage and how they He opened up the book with detailing some examples from a news article about the fights that led to their marriages ending. One was a fight over lunch, another a fight over her cell phone usage, and much more. Little fights that led to bigger issues. They shared a personal story about how they fought one time over a vocabulary word. He explained how fights are never about the fights themselves. In the book, he discussed money, raising children, sex, cheating, in-laws, and family life.


One of my favorite stories was how he described essential oils, keto, and Crossfit and referred to them as the unholy trinity. This session was pretty hilarious. I also liked the story with his future father-in-law and how they had a funny discussion before he would let him marry his daughter. I liked how he mixed humor and comedy into the book and how he walked readers through some of the challenges they faced. He had special activities to do throughout the chapters and it would work great with couples. It was also interesting to read some of her thoughts in the book at certain parts.




“I received this book free from Thomas Nelson for my honest review.”

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I saw Dustin Nickerson at a comedy club in Nashville. We had never heard of him before, we were on a double date with friends who suggested it, and we were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed his show! He mentioned that he had written this book so I checked it out on Libby the next day. I thoroughly enjoyed the book! Nickerson is quite funny, and he makes a great point that no one can really give anyone marriage advice, because everyone's marriage is different because every person is different. Then he goes on to recount funny and poignant anecdotes of his and his wife Melissa's relationship. Two things that I found interesting is that he and wife were 19 and 20 when they married and that they are religious. So much of what he wrote is relatable too, especially when he discusses how your relationship changes after having children. If you want to read a quick, funny, relatable comedy with some serious, feel good points, this is a great book to read!

[Jenn Cenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book on pre-order and just now got around to reading it. I definitely wouldn’t call this a marriage advice book. It reads much more like a memoir to me. I really enjoyed it because the writing really was Dustin’s voice. It felt like having a conversation with a friend. While I didn’t find much helpful advice (I wasn’t really looking for any) it was a fun confirmation that marriage really is similar for everyone. I think it would be a good read for newlyweds. I also like the conclusion that you can’t compare your marriage and you need to learn what works for you and your spouse through growth, trial, and error. Overall, it was an easy, relatable, light read and left me wanting an actual memoir from Dustin!

[Horia Calborean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please don't judge me for reading this book. I was coming from a series of books containing a lot of death and another very long fantasy series. I need a chance. I actually started book number two from the Beartown universe by Fredrick Backman but I stopped after the first chapter. It was good but to dark.

About this book. I did not learn anything about marriage, I laughed only once. The comedy level is what you expect from a stand up show taking place in a very open minded church : jokes are said, but you are in a church

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to Dustin read the audiobook and literally laughed out loud (like a crazy person) throughout the whole book. Being married and having kids feels like I'm reading my own biography, so many hilarious little digs about the differences between spouses. The things we learn to love about our partner.

The marriage advice was solid and told in such a fun way that I'll definitely remember it.

I am desperately trying to get my wife to read/listen to this book.

6 stars, if I could. And it's become a staple of my happy marriage and fatherhood. Thanks Dustin and Melissa!!

[Malinda Ferber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny (which I expected after seeing Dustin doing stand up last year) and non-judgmental view on marriage. He clearly states (multiple times) that this is based on his marriage and all relationships are different. It has some good advice. There are parts that I laughed out loud at and parts I found I was nodding along with. He is as funny in his book as he is on stage and I enjoyed that his wife had commentary sprinkled throughout as well. Definitely would recommend as a lighthearted read.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

An essential read for those in a relationship. Hilarious anecdotes from a marriage of over 20 years will affirm that your relationship quirks are perfectly fine. As long as they bring joy to you both, external opinions don't matter.

Grateful for receiving a copy of this book through a Goodreads win from @thomasnelson, Thomas Nelson Publishers.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and entertaining, and though he doesn’t try to give specific advice, his relatability and honesty give good insight into ways to think about our specific spouse. And absolutely listen to the audio of him narrating it. It isn’t a deeply profound book, but it is a hilarious and lighthearted read.

[Celina]

I think Dustin Nickerson is so funny. This was a great listen. I love how much he loves his wife and how he talks about the ups and downs. In a world, that makes the women the crazy one a lot, I liked how he joked about himself. Is my marriage perfect? No, but it's nice to hear about someone else's non perfect marriage.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because I enjoy his comedy. I wasn’t disappointed in this as a funny book but he seems to have a much more dramatic marriage than I do. I don’t know that I left with any marriage tips I feel like incorporating but I laughed & had some food for thought.

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, lighthearted approach to a marriage book. Lots of features of the author's marriage reminds me of my own making this funny, relatable, and practical. Would definitely recommend for those looking for a quicker read with lots of humor and depth alike.

[Alex Ruble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Dustin’s book gave me hope for myself and being a tentative and present father (even if I am currently not a father and have no one to have a child with, haha). A hilarious read, a family friendly read, and an insightful look into a unique and loving relationship/family

[Selina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny! I saw Dustin live in San Diego a few weeks ago and ordered this book that night. I was so excited when it came. I laughed the whole time reading it. Dustin shares his story in such a relatable and comedic way. Really enjoyed it. 😊

[Elizabeth Behrens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A marriage book that let's you know you're not alone in your crazy relationship. Shows the various balancing acts, give-and-takes, and compromises that have to be made to make a marriage work, because you have to WORK to maintain any relationship. Lots of fun stories and anecdotes along the way.

[Dr G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and funny story for all couples

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will come in handy, should I find myself married to Melissa.

[LdyGray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Interesting as a bio, but less funny than his stand-up.

[Whitney Perrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fast paced book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Not your standard advice book but full of insight and humor.

[Carol Lynn]

Won this in a giveaway but it never showed! Leaving this here as a placeholder so giveaways doesn’t penalize for it.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and entertaining, as expected. Many jokes double on Instagram if you follow him / them. A quick and easy read and I enjoyed it.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and honest and completely entertaining throughout. Felt like talking to a friend about problems that we both have.

[Joni McNeal · Rating 3 out of 5]

They have a love story that is unique these days, which I loved hearing more about.

[Mike M · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t waste your time. I've enjoyed his stand up. This was not it.

[Mirandashel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy their podcast, so I listened to the audiobook— lol’d several times at the stories and advice/non-advice.

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious audiobook!!!! Nate and I listened to this during the many miles of our Utah drives!! We laughed out loud so many times!!! Definitely a fun listen with your spouse!

[Austin Wolc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Dustin's comedy. This had great stories with plenty of humor but not just jokes for the sake of jokes. This made me excited to hear more of his stand-up